The Sims 3: Master Suite Stuff is now available on Steam in North America! Master Suite Stuff will be available in more territories this week, please check the store page for the release time in your territory.

Home is where the heart is! Whether your Sims relax in a bubble bath in their luxurious bathroom, enjoy some down time in their exquisitely furnished bedroom, or wear new intimate apparel for their special someone, The Sims 3 Master Suite Stuff adds some sizzle to their home life!

You may never become famous, and so ultimately live a worthless life, but at least your Sims will get to experience that brief and fleeting moment of happiness. Electronics Arts today announced the Showtime expansion pack for The Sims 3 on PC and Mac, which will let you pressgang Sims into a life before the crowds in March 2012.

As a singer, acrobat, magician, or DJ, your Sims can take to the stage, both in your towns and those of other players. New 'SimPort' social features will let you send Sims to perform in your chum's town, or send them on tour.

As one would expect from a Sims game, you can also customize your stage with props and special effects, building the venue of your Sim's dreams.

The social gubbins will also extend to an in-game social wall for tracking your Sim's progress, boasting of their successes, sending gifts and e-cards, and other such malarkey.

Pre-ordering gets you the 'Ultimate Stage' venue as a bonus, though EA generously presents this as a free upgrade to a 'Limited Edition.'

Let’s get one thing clear: I’m extremely fond of horses. If I were to list all of the animals in order of objective, intrinsic worth, I don’t think it would be arrogant of me to say that horses would certainly be at the top.

The Sims 3: Pets caters to unbridled hooflust in ways previous Sims pets expansions wouldn’t dare, introducing equine buddies to the already heaving assortment of available canine and feline companions. Dogs, cats and horses are now the three primary forms of petkind, while birds, fish, gerbiltypes and lizards steadfastly remain on the ‘interactive furniture’ side of animal husbandry.

Whether furry, hairy, scaly or feathered, pets integrate seamlessly into the life simulator. They can be inserted into new families from the outset, or adopted from other Sims or the adoption agency. And, because The Sims 3: Pets fills your town to the brim with wandering strays, your Sim can also befriend vagrant woofers, taking them off the streets and showering them in mind-smearing luxury.

Gone are the pet careers of The Sims 2, replaced by more realistic functions: dogs can hunt and dig for treasure. Cats can catch vermin. Horses can be ridden in races and made to jump over things for money. Riding itself is a skill Sims can learn, while hunting and other tricks can be taught and improved. The pets themselves can be controlled exactly as you would a human Sim, allowing you to placate their immediate desires (typically: sniffing and eating things) or attend to their needs without the interaction of a human Sim. And, just as with human Sims, wish fulfilment grants rewards – such as the ability to vomit at will.

The animations and animal vocalisations, are of an incredibly high standard – pumping immense, wet-nosed character and playful personalities into every pet. You’ll want to crawl into your monitor to stroke the things, instead of stoically resigning yourself to proxy in-game cuddles and indirect cooing. Animals age and expire, too, flinging Sims into depressions of such crippling magnitude that, much like real life, you wonder if it’s ever worth forming an emotional bond with a living creature ever again. But don’t worry, you’ll find some consolation in the customisation options in the pet creation suite. Maybe.

The pets expansions for the Sims have traditionally been the most, well, expansive, introducing players to a new emotional vocabulary through the unconditional and universally appreciated love of captive animals. The Sims 3: Pets is the most balanced of these expansions – more pragmatic than the wackiness of The Sims 2 superstar mutts, and… well, I doubt you even remember the awful state of The Sims 1’s autistic, grid-based dogs. It’s the only Sims expansion I’d ever insist upon, and a must for Sims 3 owners.

The Sims 3 Pets is now available in North America! Sims 3 Pets will be available in more territories this week, check back on Steam for the release in your territory.

Create perfect—or imperfect—pets for your Sims, from fierce guard dogs to destructive kittens to trusty horses and more as you determine not only how your Sims pets look but their personality traits as well. Give your Sims a new member of their household and discover all-new ways to play with life!

EA have launched a Sims 3 demo that will theoretically run in your browser. The demo was announced on the EA site, spotted over on Blue's News, and contains "elements from The Sims 3, The Sims 3 Late Night, The Sims 3 World Adventures."

EA's link doesn't seem to work, but we managed to launch the demo from the Gakai front page, the service providing the streaming tech behind the trial. The demo is time limited to 20 minutes. You'll be able to create a sim and lead them to their a gruesome death in an Egyptian pyramid, a haunted house and a vampire lair. Or you could keep them safe and watch them live long, happy fulfilled lives, but where's the fun in that?

Are you sick of your Sims getting old and haggard? It's so much more fun to keep them young and spry to suffer in your elaborate domestic death traps! Today, EA announced the "Hidden Springs" downloadable content for The Sims 3, which promises to revitalize your Sims with a combination of health spa techniques and literal magic. Why, after the pack releases on August 25, your fit and trim Sim should be able to swim in his ladder-less pool for hours before succumbing to his grisly fate.

The Sims 3 'Hidden Springs' DLC

Attractions include several spas and magical attractions, along with the "Museum of Magic and Supernatural" -- no, we didn't make a mistake, that's the real name. Redwood Heights Luxury Lodge brings you all the pleasure of snooty get-togethers with the upper crust. Your Sims can also go to the Crystal Solarium Rejuvenating Waters and the Zephyr Health Spa to get young and healthy. Plus, you can make a trip to Fairyfolk Park, which will be awfully misleading if there are no fairies. The press release also hints at a "mystery" underneath Hidden Springs that explains the town's magical properties.

The Hidden Springs content will only be available through the Sims 3 store using SimPoints. That means that if you want to buy Sims 3 through Steam, you should probably grab it while you still can. Several other Sims packs are available through Steam currently, but history has shown that once EA puts up a piece of DLC that's available exclusively through its own storefront, the game gets pulled from Valve's store. Don't be surprised if The Sims 3 disappears on August 25.

• Baby Sims will no longer become stuck on a Sims hand while driving a car.• Imaginary Friends who have been made real will now keep their unique outfit when aging up.• Bunk Bed drop shadows will no longer shift places when a Sim climbs into one.• Sims will now react to another Sim Showing Off a skill they learned at an afterschool class or club.• The Catch all Type of Fishes memory will no long appear before the action has been completed.• The screenshot for the Enjoyed WooHoo in a Tree House memory will no longer clip with the Tree House.• Incorrect placement slots on the Loft Bed that show as valid locations have been removed.• The Temporarily Undead moodlet will now correctly state what caused it when the Ghost Potion has been thrown at a Sims feet.• Sims will no longer be spammed with Field Trip opportunities.• Elder Sims will no longer reset when loading a Save Game that has them in the Harass with Cane interaction.• Sims can now learn their Imaginary Friends traits much easier when they are turned into a live Sim.• An issue where Gems and Metals in a Sims inventory became unusable once Generations was installed has been resolved.• The footprint of a Daycare child will no longer be permanently left on the lot when the Active Household is changed.• Babies and Toddlers will no longer go into a frozen state when a Social Worker comes to take them while they are being pushed in strollers.• The wish to Ride a Spring Rider will no longer always appear after the interaction to ride a spring rider has been canceled.• Shopping menus will no longer appear while inside of Camera Man Mode.• The Imaginary Friend doll can no longer be buried in Sandboxes to prevent the Sim from losing it forever.• Sims can now complete a Poltergeist Haunting job (Ambitions) if there is a Bunk or Loft Bed on the lot.• Queued interactions while performing the Daycare Career will no longer be automatically canceled after putting a toddler down.• Spiral Staircases can no longer be placed in areas that Sims cannot route to.• Sims that have been turned into a Ghost will no longer receive an extra diploma.• Sims can no longer have a negative amount of Memories in their Scrapbook.• After purchasing a Bar (Late Night), Sims will no longer receive the Bought a Bar memory when purchasing any other type of property.• The Motive Mobile will no longer be unintentionally used when returning from a Community Lot with a toddler, causing it to remain parked in front of the Sims home.• The Throw a Teen Party wish will no longer appear while a Teen Party is already planned.• Users can now select a Lifetime Wish for Teenagers who have aged up to Young Adults while away at Boarding School.• Daycare children will no longer be abandoned on your Sims lot.• Children now have the chance to be Scolded when performing Dino Smash on a doll house.• Sims can no longer become stuck in Fences while in Camera Man Mode.• Elder Sims who are arrested in the Criminal Career while using the Elder Cane will no longer become stuck.• Ghost Sims will now remain floating when returning from Boarding School.• Strollers will no longer disappear from a Sims inventory after leaving for a Free Vacation while pushing the stroller.• Objects placed in a Sims inventory after they have accepted a Free Vacation opportunity will be restored when the Sim returns from vacation.• The wish to Attend Prom will no longer appear while a Sim is attending Prom.• Issues with the cutout for Spiral Staircase when placed in a basement have been resolved.• Sims can now select the Leave Me Alone interaction on Imaginary Friends while playing in Bridgeport (Late Night).• The Give Gift interaction on a computer will no longer be banned for Sims who have had their computer privileges revoked.• Sims who are under the influence of the Ghost Potion will now be able to use Subways (Late Night).• Potions that a Sim has already learned how to create will now be available on Chemistry Tables when placed in Vacation Worlds.• Sims using a stroller can no longer become stuck if a user alters the terrain in Build/Buy Mode while the Sim and stroller are routing.• Sims can now interact with objects inside a Bar (Late Night) after the venue has closed during a Bachelor/ette Party.• A Sims route path will no longer become broken when moving a Spiral Staircase while a Sim is in motion.• Butlers (Late Night) will no longer become stuck in the sidewalk after canceling the Learn to Drive interaction with him.• Players will no longer be spammed by the "Go for a stroll using the Stroller" wish.• The Imaginary Friend can no longer lose their unique outfit when the game is saved and loaded while the Imaginary Friend is being turned real.• Unplayable states where Adults die when children are away at Boarding School have been resolved.• The Guest List will no longer become blocked after adding kids and children and then changing the party type to Bachelor/ette Party.• The Plan Outfit interaction will no longer break the functionality of the Costume Chest.• Sims who die while under the influence of the Ghost Potion will now properly appear as a Ghost after dying.• The household size limit can no longer be exceeded by using Clone Vouchers.• Hopscotch Courts will no longer lose functionality when a Sim who has motive stress plays hopscotch with another Sim.• Videos created with the Video Camera on vacation worlds can now be replayed when returning to the home world.• The Scold interaction will now only be performed once when having two adults in the same room where a Child Sim is setting a booby trap.• Bar speakers will now be turned off when Party Dancers begin dancing at a Bar (Late Night) during a Bachelor/ette Party.• The Graduate interaction on City Hall will now be available when loading a game that was saved on the day a Sim was supposed to graduate.• The Make Radical Reparum Potion wish will no longer reappear right after fulfilling it.• Sims who are on fire will no longer be forced to attend graduation before they can put themselves out.• Sims enrolled in the Daycare profession will now autonomously take better care of children while at work.• An issue that causes a Sims plumbob to be temporarily displayed at the exit of a Tree House has been remedied.• A scroll bar will now appear when text in the Capture This Moment window exceeds the size of the window.• The Imaginary Friend outfit for the Child aged Imaginary Friend will now work correctly with Create a Style.• Sims who are in Boarding School when Generations is uninstalled will no longer be removed from the household when loading the saved game.• Sims will now route properly to the location when selecting the Visit lot with Date interaction.• An issue where Elevators (Late Night) become unusable when an Imaginary Friend turns to doll form inside of them has been resolved.• Children will no longer play a broken animation when rejecting an opportunity over the phone.• Children and Teens can no longer die from motive failure while on a Time Out.• An issue where NPC Sims using a Tree House would prevent player controlled Sims from using it has been fixed.• The Repoman can no longer repossess Spiral Staircases.• Castle Bunk and Loft beds now match the preset thumbnail images in Buy Mode.• Sims who are enrolled in Boarding School just before an Adult Sim accepts a Free Vacation opportunity will no longer be removed from the game.• The Imaginary Friend will no longer be removed from the game after using the ResetSim cheat on it.• The Erase Tool will now appear correctly when entering the Terrain Paints section of Build Mode and filtering it to an EP or SP with no terrain content.• The Brush Shape in Build Mode will no longer freeze after having filtered to an EP or SP with no content in the current tab.• The Launcher Help Files will now display properly when Firefox or Chrome is set as the default browser.• Mac Only: Toilets will no longer overflow when switching between floors of a house after the toilet has been booby trapped.• Mac Only: Fixes a crash issue that occurs when opening the Options Menu after playing the game for a while.• Mac Only: Fixes a crash issue that occurs when opening the Scrapbook after playing the game for a while.• Mac Only: Fixes a crash issue that occurs when clicking the Share Memories button after playing the game for a while.• Fixes an issue where Sims would be unintentionally removed from Boarding School when the Prom of another Sim began.• Fixes an issue where the game crashes after deleting a Fish Tank which has been placed on a foundation.• Fixes a crash issue that occurs when a Sim practices making drinks with an Imaginary Friend.• Fixes an issue where the Return to Owner interaction would not work properly when trying to return a stolen item through the mailbox.• Fixes an issue where a Sim resets when attempting to play Hopscotch with an Imaginary Friend Doll.• Fixes a crash issue that occurs when Platforms are placed on a lot after filtering Build Mode content to any EP or SP.• Various fixes to Daycare and the Imaginary Friend involving the Edit Town mode.• Various fixes to Children Sims not showing up correctly or staying too long at Daycare.• Additional bug fixes and polish to existing features

Late Night Updates

• Vampires fangs have been restored.• Objects with interactions will now work properly when placed on Sectional Seating tables.• Corner Sectional Seats on lots in the Edit Town bin will now work properly when placed in a world.• Children Sims will now correctly participate when Ask to Join: Go for a Joy Ride is selected on Sectional Seating.• Fixes an issue where glass objects flicker when Advanced Rendering is turned on.

Ambitions Updates

• Laundromat Venues can now be purchased through the Real Estate menu.

World Adventures Updates

• Sand Piles and Tomb décor will no longer be visible in an unexplored tomb.• An issue that broke functionality for Nectar Bottles and Nectar Racks has been resolved.• Photos taken with cameras from World Adventures will now be properly saved to the inventory.• Objects placed in a Sims Family Inventory will no longer disappear when returning from a Vacation world.

Base Game Updates

• Fences that were designed to be transparent will no longer be opaque when Advanced Rendering is turned off.• The Downloads Dashboard will no longer ask you to log in after already being logged in.• Children will no longer float when sitting on certain fountain sculptures.• Bookshelves in Library venues will correctly stock books when the venue is placed from the Edit Town bin.• Additional bug fixes and polish to existing features

The next Sims 3 expansion pack will add a host of new activities for your sims at every stage of their lives. Young sims can build treehouses, teenagers can attend their school prom, and fully grown sims can have a full blown mid life crisis that allows them to change their hair style and colour, and hopefully blow all their savings on a collection of sports cars.

As well as being able to throw new events like expensive wedding ceremonies and teen house parties, The Sims 3: Generations will also add a collection of new hobbies and activities will let you accidentally kill your sims in a series of new and spectacular ways.

Experimental chemistry sets will be a new source of fun and horrible explosive death for your sims, but safer activities will also be available, including the option to throw bachelor parties. Younger sims will be able to pull pranks, plant toilet bombs and have imaginary friends. A new memories system will let you keep track of your sims' major life events, and post their progress on Facebook.

Generations is due out this spring, for more information on the new expansion, head over to the official Sims 3 site.

If you fancy having your mind somewhat blown, try playing the Mass Effect 2 demo in your browser. Unlike most graphically impressive browser games, this isn't a huge download running via a special plugin: all you need is Flash and Java, which you likely already do, and you'll be playing in a few seconds. The only catch is you need a good connection - about 10Mb/s - and the demo won't appear if you don't.

The service is called Gaikai, and it's live in 12 countries right now. The focus is on letting you into the game with no fuss or sign-up process, so it's perfect for demos. At the end of the Mass Effect 2 or Dead Space 2 demos available now, you get a link to buy the full game.

If the Mass Effect 2 demo link doesn't pop up when you visit the Gaikai site, try the Spore one - it has the same requirements but it'll tell you what's wrong if it doesn't work.

The service has actually been running in a low-profile way for a couple of months. There's a slight lag on interactions when playing on our office connection, but performance is generally very good. Since it's web based, it means you can now play these PC games on a Mac or Linux system. It's set to be demonstrated in full at the Games Developer Conference this week.

Unlike the similar game-streaming service, OnLive, Gaikai doesn't charge for its services and allows users to play in their browser right away. At the moment it only offers some choice selections from EA, but is hoping to move onto including a larger catalogue of blockbuster hits from them and other publishers.

Writing on his blog CEO David Perry explains that he hopes to eventually end up with servers in every major city in the world to stream data from, saying that "if engineers work really hard, they can maybe squeeze out another thousandth of a second from our compression but if we set up in a data center two states closer to your house, we dramatically improve the performance".

The creator of Earthworm Jim hopes to eventually expand the service to allow YouTube-style embedding of demos on websites, and the service will eventually work with Facebook. The aim is to have the embedded demos appear on Facebook, and at the end of reviews, so players can hop straight in and play.

Other demos currently available include Spore, The Sims 3 and, after completing a short survey, Dead Space 2.

Let us know if they work on your connection and, if so, how the performance feels to you.